A Perfect Day to Die
by Michelle24
Summary: Would you have the courage to sacrafice yourself...for someone you cared for?
1. Default Chapter

A Perfect Day to Die  
  
I awoke to an eerily dark room. Shadows of wrath surrounded me; threatened me. I swallowed hard and rose from the comfort of my bed. Treading lightly down the stairs, I gazed out the window. Blackness. It was but 3:48 in the morning. I listened to the silent snoring of my parents, and the hoarse breathing of my younger brother. I reached the foot of the stairs- my heart pounding harder than ever before, I had but ten minutes left until the exact time of my birth, 15 years ago. At every creak under my footsteps, and at every slight movement I flinched. A small gust of wind came from nowhere and I knew that he was here. I sat on the couch and looked all around the dark room. Something moved in the corner of my eye. The sound of malicious breathing was just barely audible. The hairs on my arms stood on end, and I wanted to disappear. I dared not turn over my shoulder. The VCR flashed the time in a glowing green hue. It was 3:54. Only four minutes now... three minutes until the last of my life. Tears welled in my eyes as I recalled memories from my childhood. My dog, Ajax, whined from behind the gate of our laundry room. Ajax saw him. He whined again, but it was cut off in mid-breath. I almost jumped up and screamed. They had killed him. Because he had seen them. My sweet little dog was gone. Under my breath I muttered "Don't worry, Ajax. I'll see you in just... just... one minute" My voice cracked and a flood of tears soundlessly rolled down my face. I was at the last minute. I never really believed that it would come to this. Time seemed to freeze and I saw his reflection in the TV screen. In a slow motion his reflection grew larger as he drew closer. I felt the humid air of his breath on the back of my neck. Slowly, he strode in front of me. I didn't move. He pulled out a long tube, and placed it on my chest right over my heart. The device would pull my spirit out, and drain the life out of me. I cringed as I heard a hum of gears. I wished I could at least officially turn 15 first. But the time had come. And then he spoke in his deep, gravelly voice. "Today is a perfect day to die." 


	2. You Can Run But You Can't Hide

Ch. 2 You Can Run but you Can't Hide  
  
I could feel the life draining out of my body. I felt faint, my eyes glazed over, and I grew weak and helpless. I couldn't die. I didn't want to die. I had to see Carver one last time; confide in him... and tell him. Slowly, and as inconspicuously as possible, I outstretched my arm and with one sudden motion had detached the long tube that threatened my life.  
Brutally, I thrust him to the ground, and drove my foot into his face; trying to allow myself more time to make my escape. My head spun, and I nearly fell over as I maneuvered around the couch, through the hall, and to the stairs.  
Fear swept though me as I listened to the groans and staggered footsteps of my antagonist. My feet were momentarily stuck to the floor. His shadow crept into view from around the corner, and I took a deep breath, and sprinted up the stairs... still trying not to wake my family.  
Hastily, I closed and locked my bedroom door. I leaned against it, listening to his footsteps come up the stairs, and panting harder than my dog. I could hear my heart beating; it seemed loud enough to wake the dead. Suddenly, an idea ran through my head. I opened my window, and, with much effort, forced my screen out; it hit the patio underneath with a loud crash.  
I paused and praised the Lord that my parents kept a chain ladder in my room in case of a fire.  
I drug it out of my drawer, and hooked it up to the windowsill. As I threw the chain over, I became aware of a bloodcurdling scratching. I froze in terror as a dark mist flowed under the door. I began to move faster, but first looked at my clock, and smiled. I was five minutes over 15, even though I was scheduled to die one minute before my birthday.  
I climbed out the window, just as the mist materialized into him (who else?). I quickened my descent down the swaying and awkward chain ladder. Thankfully, he was slow, so by the time I reached the ground he was still pulling his short, stout little body out of the window. I ran around to the gate, and his ghostly voice interrupted the silence of the neighborhood, and I quivered in horror.  
"You can run, but you can't hide!" 


	3. Carver

Ch. 3 Carver  
  
I was hiding in the huge bush in our front yard. Spiders, centipedes, and ants crawled over me, in an evil attempt to give me away. The bush shook violently as I repositioned myself, and my eyes grew wide in caution- I could have given myself away.  
His figure strutted across the lawn in front of me. I had heard a loud crash prior to his arrival, and had almost laughed- the klutz had fallen off the ladder, and I could barely make out the scratches across his face and the blood dripping from his chin. His red eyes scanned the yard, and passed me several times, I could have sworn he saw me. "I know you're here. I will find you, even if it takes all night."  
He began his search. Looking under our cherry tree, in the flowers and small shrubs, and finally, to my designated hiding spot. His long bony fingers spread the bush's branches apart and his red eyes came into view. I bit my lip, and sprang. I had startled him, and he easily lost balance and fell over. There was no time, and no use for me to injure him, because nothing could kill the Orpac.  
The Orpac are a frightful kind, and only one thing can kill them, but I had no idea what it was. He was on a mission to murder me, and at no cost would stop, for I had seen him, and I knew about them. There are but seven Orpac in the world, only one person had ever managed to kill one, but they had killed nearly a thousand. The short, magical, and wicked creatures would grant you one wish... Their cost? Your life.  
I was now running as fast as I possibly could. I had only been to Carver's house twice, and I had difficulty remembering where it was. I glanced behind me, and saw nothing, but that also meant nothing. He could spring out at me at any moment, or appear from right behind me, I had to keep going.  
After ten minutes I reached his street, and found his house. I snuck around to the backyard and found a small stone. My hand shook, and I threw it at his window. It missed. I tossed another one, and it struck with a muffled clank. No answer. I picked up a handful of rocks and threw them, one after the other, only a couple missing.  
By the time I had three rocks left, Carver open his drape, and when he saw me opened his window. "Aw, geez, c'mon let me get a little sleep- couldn't it wait 'till tomorrow?"  
"Carver, please, I need to hide, I need to talk to you." Carver looked confused, but went downstairs and unlocked the patio door. I walked in, glancing around the yard.  
"Kara, what's wrong? You seem kind of jumpy."  
"I need to hide, somewhere... Do you have a basement?"  
"No, but we have a crawlspace, the builders were too cheap to put in a basement."  
"Okay, that's fine...is there a way out of it to the backyard?"  
"Uhhh.... I think you could squeeze through an opening if you push the wire out... it leads to the front yard."  
"Perfect. I need to get down there now, and I need you to come with me." He led me to there closet and pulled up a door positioned on the floor. Hastily, I went into the darkness, and Carver followed. I told him to pull the door back over the opening. We couldn't see each other, and there was no flashlight, but that was okay. Finally, I gathered up everything in me. "Carver, I need to tell you something." 


End file.
